Calm and Composed
by DriftingWithoutAnAnchor
Summary: A/U following a brawl between Bates and Green where Thomas is involved.


_I needed to see Bates take care of business without being under-handed and I needed to see Anna freak out about the whole thing._

_Fellowes didn't give us that, so I'm giving it to you._

_It's my first fic. Enjoy._

**Disclaimer:** _The show and characters are not mine._

* * *

With John's cane in pieces and his knee a swollen mess, John found himself leaning on Thomas for support as they made their way to Mrs. Hughes' sitting room. Leave it to a man like Green to find a man's weakness and exploit it for his own purposes. John wasn't surprised, but the pain in his knee was no less prevalent.

Mrs. Hughes had the valet and under-butler sit next to each other with the end table between them, offering them both tea from a pot she had just prepared before she heard the racket coming from outside. Mrs. Hughes immediately had John lift up the leg of his trouser to assess the damage. Thomas took out his pack of cigarettes, taking one out for himself and offering the pack to John. John looked at Mrs. Hughes' questioningly; Lord knows he needed something to take the edge off, but he was not about to be disrespectful to his superior in that way. Mrs. Hughes looked up at them from her place at his feet and rolled her eyes. "Oh go on," she said resignedly. John took a cigarette and Thomas lit it for him, using one of the saucers as an ash tray. John's knee was swollen all right and the bruising was making itself known already. John would find out in a day or so just how much damage had been caused to the blow at his knee. Mrs. Hughes provided him with a cold compress before seeking out some iodine and bandages for the two gentlemen.

"You surprise me, Mr. Bates," said Thomas as he exhaled smoke, "I really didn't think a man such as you still had it in him, but I suppose prison has a way of bringing the beast out of all of us."

"Don't speak of what you don't know, Mr. Barrow," said John looking away, the cigarette a welcomed respite.

"Well that's a fine 'thank you' to the man who saved your neck!" said Thomas, faking offense.

"You did not save my neck and no one asked you to get involved." John would owe Thomas now and that was not a feeling he enjoyed.

"No one ever asks me, but you're welcome all the same," drawled Thomas.

"Thank you" said John sincerely after a moment. "Why DID you get involved?"

"Yes, why?" chimed Mrs. Hughes. It appeared she and Mr. Bates were on the same wavelength. "I wasn't aware anyone else knew about Anna's… situation." She hesitated, making sure she put it delicately what with Anna's husband in the room. John looked at Thomas, waiting for his answer.

"You don't believe the rest of us haven't noticed the change in Anna's personality, do you?" said Thomas, surprised by their inquiry.

It was a fair point to make; Anna had been quiet and withdrawn again. She was hardly eating and seemed nervous all the time, especially since the visiting valet had been back at the house.

"I make it a point to know my rivals," Thomas continued, "and when they are acting uncharacteristically." If Mrs. Patmore had been in earshot of this speech she would have assumed he had been hit with a dictionary, mused Mrs. Hughes to herself as she started tending to the marks on his face.

"Anna is hardly your rival," said John.

"She's married to you, isn't she?" retorted Thomas. John couldn't help but smirk at that.

"Anyway, I noticed the signs of such an assault. Men like Mr. Green should not be allowed to get away with such things," replied Thomas inspecting his cigarette, seemingly lost in a memory. Mrs. Hughes and John shared a look.

"Well I don't see how your actions have helped the situation," said Mrs. Hughes quickly, her frustration with the valet and under-butler now having reached its peak. Standing in front of the both of them, she scolded, "You've both just ensured His Lordship's involvement in the matter, and by extension, Lord Gillingham's. Did neither of you consider that Anna didn't want it getting to the rest of the family, let alone Lady Mary's suitor?" She looked from one to the other, waiting for a response. Thomas took a long drag and stared at the floor. John looked at Mrs. Hughes and took a deep breath, the realization of the matter finally dawning on him.

"No. I thought not," she said matter-of-factly.

Thomas snorted and said, "I wouldn't want to be you later, Mr. Bates." John only had time to shoot Thomas a menacing look before Anna walked purposefully into the room without a knock and shut the door. John put out his cigarette.

Standing in the middle of the room she announced, "Everyone is talking about a brawl that happened outside between Mr. Green, Mr. Bates, and Mr. Barrow. Is it true?"

She looked first at Mrs. Hughes who stood with her mouth slightly open and blinked. Anna then looked at Thomas who no longer had a smirk on his face, but her eyes settled intensely on her husband. John could only look at the floor. Her question still hung in the air.

"Well?" Anna asked, still looking at John.

"Yes," John answered quietly. He looked up at his wife then and watched as anger, anxiety, and fear began to manifest themselves in the tears that appeared in her eyes.

"Well that's just fine!" Anna's voice quivered and she was visibly shaking. Mrs. Hughes became anxious at once.

"Anna, calm down," she said, reaching for the lady's maid. Anna pulled her arm away sharply from the housekeeper; an act of insolence that shocked even Thomas.

"No!" Anna said thickly. "I've been calm. For so many years I've been the one who held it all together; the one who kept her wits about her. Mr. Pamuk, my husband's trial and sentence, Mr. Matthew's death and Lady Mary's grieving; I withstood all of it! I'm tired, I'm angry, I'm scared, and now I feel betrayed! So you'll please excuse me, Mrs. Hughes, but I will not calm down!"

Anna nearly shouted her last words. Mrs. Hughes could only look at her with tears in her eyes. Thomas put out his cigarette and stared at the wall ahead of him. John looked at his wife; his lip was quivering and tears were streaming shamelessly down his cheeks.

"I'm so very sorry," John whispered when she turned her attention back to him. She stared at him for a moment before closing her eyes and turning her face away. She let out one small sob.

A short time later, Anna walked out of the parlour, out the back door, and into the darkness. After hearing the back door shut, Mrs. Hughes followed her.

John put his face in his hands and cried. Thomas watched him. For once in his life, he had nothing to say.


End file.
